The possibility of a contested convention is becoming a realistic one for the Republican party this summer, but chairman Reince Preibus has stated that candidates who don't meet the 1,237 quota for a majority will not be handed the nomination.

The refusal comes off the back of a claim by Donald Trump that the candidate who arrives at the Republican National Convention in the summer with the most delegates should be awarded the nomination, even if they fail to reach the magic number of 1,237.

Speaking on ABC's This Week show, Trump stated that "if I'm a few short and I have, you know, 1,200 or if I have 1,100 and somebody else is at 300 or 400 or 500", then he believes he should be the one given the nomination.

However, appearing on CNN's State of the Union show this Sunday, Priebus said that should no one reach that figure, then it's up to the delegates to open the convention floor to a debate.

Image: Carolyn Kaster / AP/Press Association Images

"This is a delegate-driven process," said Preibus. "This is the first time in a long time people actually cared about delegate count, but delegates matter. The minority of delegates doesn't rule for the majority".

Priebus added that he was himself made chairman of the National Committee "on the seventh ballot, no one gave it to me on the second or third ballot. In fact, I had to fight and fight and fight, and eventually I got the majority. That's how it works".